Lake Okareka work recognised

Mike and Sandra Goodwin, members of Landcare Okareka, and recipients of the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow awards surrounded by the pump station bank that was cleared of invasive weeds and replanted with appropriate New Zealand plants to enhance the environment.

Founding members of Landcare Okareka, Mike and Sandra Goodwin have been recognised for the positive impact they and the group had on the environment and the community at Lake Okareka by being awarded the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary Rotorua Sunrise.

The Lake Okareka walkway opened in 2003.

The initial track included a boardwalk and mainly lakeside track to the outlet of Okareka.

The design and construction was managed by Rotorua Lakes Council and financed by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council Environment Enhancement Fund.

While this was a significant achievement, perceptive residents suggested an independent group could advance other community enhancements by working with Rotorua Lakes Council and the Regional Council.

Landcare Okareka started 3 months later and founding members included Mike and Sandra Goodwin.

Currently there are around 60 members, mostly residents, holiday home owners and people from the wider Rotorua community.

Their first project was Stage 2 of the walkway - composting toilets at Silver Beach, a shade structure with seats, a bird watching hid and raised edges to the boardwalk were all completed 2 years later.

Mike and Sandra are well known in the Okareka community.

They coordinate regular working bees around Okareka, with volunteers from Rotorua and Okareka.

Significant achievements include:

• 2008 - a remembrance grove of native trees adjacent to the walkway

• 2012 - The pump station bank was cleared of bush and replanted. This included a track from Summit Road for children to get to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill.

• A multitude of other environmental enhancements, other tracks formation and some maintenance work.

Mike Goodwin was enjoying the project.

"Our current project is the most exciting, completing the Trans Okareka Walk, which when completed, will take about 3 hours to walk around Lake Okareka, both at lake level and along the top of the north eastern DOC bush on the steep hill above the lake.

"The first part of this extension is a 1.5km path and boardwalk from Boyes Beach to the DOC campground off Miller Road.

"This has involved considerable planning and has taken 5 years to gain all the consents, with formation work starting a few months ago."

In receiving the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow award Mike said, "The highlight is the way the environment has flourished, enhancing our community and we find this very rewarding.

People from all over the world come here. I've seen visitors on their mobility scooters and I reckon it takes three weeks to get the smile off their face, it's such a joy for them to get in amongst nature."

Sandra said, "It's very humbling and very special to receive this recognition from Rotary Rotorua Sunrise.

"We are so amazed for our group to receive this.

"We will take the framed certificates to our next meeting so we can share the recognition with our members."

Mike Bannister, president of Rotary Rotorua Sunrise said, "Paul Harris founded Rotary in 1905.

"The concept of the Paul Harris Fellow award was started in 1957 to express appreciation of outstanding achievement.

"The Paul Harris Fellow awards recognises Mike and Sandra's contribution that demonstrates a shared purpose with the objectives and mission of Rotary to build world understanding and peace through the enhancement of the Okareka surrounds, that locals and people from around the world admire and enjoy.

"We had great pleasure in awarding Mike and Sandra with these awards."